A person is interning at the weather station. This week the low temperatures were 4°C, -8°C, 9°C, -7°C, -8°C, -2°C, -9°C. Determine the average low temperature for the week.
Answer (1)
− 3
Explanation
Understanding the Problem We are given the low temperatures for a week: 4°C, -8°C, 9°C, -7°C, -8°C, -2°C, -9°C. Our goal is to find the average low temperature for the week. To do this, we will sum the temperatures and divide by the number of temperatures, which is 7.
Summing the Temperatures Let's add up the temperatures: 4 + ( − 8 ) + 9 + ( − 7 ) + ( − 8 ) + ( − 2 ) + ( − 9 ) = 4 − 8 + 9 − 7 − 8 − 2 − 9 = − 21 So the sum of the temperatures is -21°C.
Calculating the Average Now, we will divide the sum by the number of temperatures (7) to find the average: 7 − 21 = − 3 Therefore, the average low temperature for the week is -3°C.
Final Answer The average low temperature for the week is -3°C.
Examples
Understanding average temperatures can help in many real-world scenarios. For example, farmers can use average temperatures to determine the best time to plant crops. City planners can use average temperatures to estimate energy consumption for heating and cooling. Individuals can use average temperatures to plan their wardrobes and activities. In this case, calculating the average low temperature helps us understand the general coldness of the week.
